Ukraine (Mod Note & Threadbanned Users in OP)

It's an inter imperial conflict, of course I mention other countries. Russia's aggression is wrong, their actions here are wrong, the aggression and expansion of NATO is wrong too but you've no issue with NATO nor it seems do you have any issue with the rank hypocrisy of countries like the US, the UK and Israel bombing countries while condemning Russia...

Terrible to see these scenes in Europe in 2022. The democratic nations of the world need to deliver the stiffest financial sanctions available. Treat the country like an international pariah and ban it from international events of sporting and cultural significance. Condemn the apologists within each country (we have plenty here such as Mick Wallace, Clare Daly et. al).

If democracies dither and show weakness now it will have even more disastrous effects in the long run. You know China are watching this closely, and you'd fear for Taiwan if this Putin invasion goes unchallenged by the free world. Much respect to the decent Russians that are protesting the Kremlin gangsters.

How much can the West realistically squeeze the Oligarchs? Can they differentiate between 'good' Oligarchs and 'bad' Oligarchs?

Eg, could they seize a football club or a yacht in territorial waters? Or would they be restricted in what they could do by their own Western legal systems?

I can't believe they haven't already agreed to kick Russia out of Swift. If a full scale invasion of Ukraine doesn't warrant it, what does, nuking Vilnius?

Hahaha ya go down the road there and tell the lads on the dole that we are winding it up cause of Russia.

If anything this war makes green energy more of a priority for Ireland.

Fkn looper stuff

That’s the issue that seems to have been swept under the carpet by the news media….why should he stop at the Ukraine ?

You’d wonder what Obama, Bush, Clinton and Carter are thinking watching this ‘performance’ from Biden and indeed the lack of leadership, deterrent, clarity and lack of conscionable actions….

The green agenda is in the bin lads. COP26 just a faint memory.

This is about keeping the lights on now. If that means burning peat and coal and heavy fuel oil and waste materials to generate power, then thats what will happen.

All other considerations are secondary to the protection of Europe, its economy and its way of life. Industrial capacity will have to be assigned somewhat to reinforcing the militaries of NATO and indeed the non-aligned States, so there won't be a whole lot of room for energy innovation, maybe for decades if this goes very badly.

Putin has brought us to the piss or get off the pot point. The Ukraine stands alone militarily because NATO (obviously) realise that any interference would trigger WW3. Putin's words early this morning spelled out very clearly what any interference would result in. It could just be tough talk, but I found it frightening. He's a mad man. I'm actually surprised there isn't more commentary on the potential for some kind of Nuclear war in the not so distant future. I guess it all depends on where Putin draws the line in tandem with NATO still feeling secure. I chatted to a former colleague in Moldova today and she feels very scared. I'm not saying it's a widespread fear, but just a snapshot of what I have heard.

It's just Boards. A thread can only go on so long before certain posters start interfering with themselves while spouting rubbish about climate change, Trump or "woke libtards"

No. They were demolished and the bogs that fed them are on the way out too.

Yeah but Putin 'took' Crimea and Obama let him away with it. This is just an escalation of the same strategy.

As a wise man once said about power more generally, 'deterrence' is a trick, a shadow on the wall. If a nuclear-armed Russian or Chinese leader wants to face it down, call America/NATO's bluff, how does any president respond effectively in a way that doesn't spark WW3?

Really silly question time. I see the Russians have captured Chernobyl, what is the significance of this? Sure it was a ghost town anyway with not much defences etc.